Looking for a house in major cities is no longer just about finding the right neighbourhood or fitting the rent into your budget.

It has become a form of interrogation from landlords and agents.

Prospective tenants are being asked questions that go beyond the basics: What is your salary range? Where do you work? Why are you leaving your current house? Are you married, and do you have children or pets?

For many, some of these questions feel intrusive. Yet for landlords, the stakes have changed. Court rulings and hefty fines against unlawful evictions have made them cautious, prompting stricter screening long before a tenancy agreement is signed.

James Odenyo, a property consultant, explains that over the years, due diligence on rentals has become more stringent, following the anti‑money laundering rules, terrorism concerns, and data protection laws.

“Landlords are no longer simply interested in whether someone is willing or able to pay rent. Who are you as an individual? Who are you bringing into the property?” he says.

A tenant paying Sh1.2 million in rent, for instance, may trigger checks with banks to confirm the source of funds.

A series of court and tribunal decisions has made clear that landlords must follow due process when seeking to recover their properties.

For instance, in 2026, tenants in Nairobi sued a landlord for eviction. They had been removed without a court order. The two had occupied the Nairobi house since 1985. The Environment and Land Court ordered the two occupants to be restored to a Nairobi City County house.

“The process ordinarily starts with the landlord identifying a lawful ground for terminating the tenancy and issuing the tenant with a properly drafted written notice,” explains Chris Gichangi, a partner at G.M Gamma Advocates LLP. “If the tenant fails to comply with the notice, the landlord must institute proceedings before the appropriate court or tribunal seeking orders for termination of the tenancy and return of possession of the premises.”

He emphasises that eviction can be enforced only after orders are issued.

“A tenant’s failure to pay rent does not confer upon the landlord an automatic right of immediate eviction. Non‑payment can constitute grounds for termination, but the landlord must still comply with the applicable notice requirements and obtain the necessary orders before recovering possession.”

The consequences of ignoring this process can be severe. “Changing locks, blocking access, removing belongings, disconnecting electricity or water, dismantling parts of the premises or using coercion to force a tenant out could amount to unlawful eviction,” Mr Gichangi says.

Landlords and agents, particularly in upmarket areas, are increasingly trying to avoid such disputes, which can leave them without rental income while a case is in court. A legal fight can also damage the reputation of a property.

The shift in Nairobi is similar to what happens in countries such as the UK, Germany and the US, where landlords and letting agents routinely screen prospective tenants for income, employment, rental history, creditworthiness and, in some cases, identity and immigration status before approving a lease.

Johnson Denge, a real estate investment analyst, says Kenyan landlords and agents even ask prospective tenants for employment letters, payslips and KRA PIN details.

“For a tenant seeking a long‑term occupancy, a landlord may want to establish that the prospective tenant has the means to pay rent,” he explains.

Its downside

However, for some renters, the screening process can mean losing out on a dream home despite being able to afford it.

Mr Denge points to the general rule of thumb that about 30 per cent of income goes towards housing, allowing a person to live within their means. But someone who lists only one source of income, despite sharing household expenses with a spouse, may appear less able to afford the property and be dropped from the shortlist of potential renters.

Others may choose not to complete the forms at all, wary of handing over sensitive personal and financial information, and risk being left out of consideration.

“Take a household where both spouses earn Sh50,000. Together, they have an income of Sh100,000. But a landlord may assess the application based on the income of one person rather than considering the household’s combined earnings,” he says.

How to protect yourself

As landlords seek to know not just whether rent can be paid, but who exactly is moving in, experts say they might wish to start scrutinising the household’s combined income.

For a business tenant, they may want to check the activities against zoning rules, and even ascertain the number of cars to assess parking capacity. The intention is to avoid the costly and protracted battles that can arise when eviction is contested.

As Mr Gichangi points out, disputes over notices, injunctions, appeals and judicial backlogs can stretch proceedings for years.

Landlords, Mr Gichangi adds, can protect themselves by keeping proper tenancy agreements, maintaining accurate rent records, documenting breaches and arrears, issuing properly drafted notices and seeking orders from the appropriate court or tribunal.

“The most frequent errors made by landlords arise from attempts to circumvent the legal process to obtain possession of their property more quickly,” he says.

“These actions frequently convert an otherwise legitimate claim into an unlawful eviction dispute and expose landlords to substantial liability.”

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